Economic impact of attractions are making a huge difference to the city

The city's council-run museums and galleries have given a massive £47.3m boost to the local economy over the past year, new figures have revealed.

- by Harriet Sutton

The latest economic impact report compiled by Leeds Museums and Galleries sets out the remarkable figures, with the service's eight sites also welcoming an impressive 939,494 people in the same period.

Aimed at assessing the positive impact of the sites on the city and the region, the figures are calculated using factors such as overall spend on and off sites, employment impact and overall spend on local goods and services.

Against an annual budget of just under £5m, the figures mean that every £1 invested in museums and galleries in turn generates £9 for the city.

As well as the economic benefits, the report also captures the huge social impact the service has, with 105,500 children and young people taking part in activities, 46,349 school pupils visiting, as well as 38,855 visits from vulnerable adults and young adults.